She picked up a plate the size of her head and filled it full within seconds, not even making it halfway down the buffet line. I followed behind her, adding a little bit of each dish to my plate. It was a shame not to try them all. By the time I was done, my plate was nearly as full as hers.
We went to an empty round table in the back and sat down. It was early for lunch, so only a handful of people were there to eat. Raquel dove into her plate like she hadn’t eaten for weeks.
“You have to try these baby carrots,” she said between giant bites. “They’re to die for.”
Before I could find the carrots on my plate, three people plopped their plates on the table across from us. The first was a young black woman with high cheekbones and beautifully crimped hair that fell past her shoulders. The second was a twenty-something year old fit Asian man with short spikey black hair and a devilish smile. Ashley sat in the middle. She sneered at me and delicately unfolded her napkin, placing it on her lap.
“Is the human still mooching off us?” Ashley fingered her steak knife and twirled it deftly between her fingers. “I thought she’d finally gotten the clue that we didn’t want her around and left.”
“Get off it, Ashley.” Raquel swallowed the bite of food she’d been chewing on. “The only one that doesn’t want her around is you. And my guess is that’s because Gabe likes her better than you.”
I’d never seen anyone turn such an ugly shade of fuchsia. Ashley’s perfectly tanned skin took a full minute to return to its normal shade. During the awkward silence, she glared at Raquel over the water glasses. The guy beside her picked up his silverware and winked at me.
“Lizzy, this is Bree and Dominic.” Raquel pointed her fork at each of Ashley’s friends. “They’re both in training with Ashley and me. This year, all three of them are becoming warriors during the ceremony.”
I could detect a hint of jealously in Raquel’s voice, but none of us mentioned it.
“So, you’re the one they plucked out of the woods?” Bree asked. She had the slightest hint of a British accent. “The human sacrifice?”
I frowned at her. The last thing I wanted to be known for was “the human sacrifice.”
“Yeah, the one that saved Gabe,” Dominic added. He tilted his head at me and grinned. “You must be quite the warrior to save him. I don’t think he’s ever needed help in his entire career as a gatekeeper.”
“The lone wolf.” Bree flung a strand of hair over her shoulder. “If Gregory hadn’t pleaded to go on patrol with him, he’d probably still be alive. Gabe works best alone.”
“Gabe only works with a select few. I’ve been on patrol with him.” Ashley lifted her chin and locked eyes with me across the table. “Just because she got lucky, doesn’t mean she’s some big hero. What we do every day is far more dangerous than fending off some townspeople and their pitchforks.”
Dominic dramatically rolled his eyes, drawing a small smile from me. Ashley whipped around to face him, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. He raised his eyebrows at her innocently and returned to his salad. I liked this Dominic. Anyone that could make Ashley angry like that was a friend in my books.
“Are you going to be sticking around the manor?” Bree asked me. She plucked absentmindedly at the multiple beaded necklaces hanging from her neck.
“I’m not sure…”
Raquel had assumed I’d be staying forever, so I hadn’t brought the topic up. But the way she’d forgotten her mashed potatoes to stare at me told me she was waiting for an answer.
“What would she do around here?” Ashley asked. “There’s no need for a human at the manor.”
“That’s not true.” Raquel dropped her fork on the table. “Laramie’s great with the stables. Before she came here, the stables were only half that size.”
“Wait, Laramie’s human?” I hadn’t even considered the notion, but it made sense. She didn’t look like the other Nephilim with their tall athletic physiques.
“Yep,” Dominic answered. “There’s Lyla in the kitchen. Frank’s one of the gardeners. And Terrence works as an assistant to the board.”
My jaw dropped nearly to the floor. All this time I’d thought I was the only human on the grounds.
“Once in a while, we get a few more to work events,” Bree added. “There’s a company out of Rapid City that knows how to provide discreet employees. They’re the ones that handle the cleaning of the manor.”
I’d have to hunt down these humans and see what they were all like. It’d been so hard for me to accept the concept of the Nephilim and what they did. I couldn’t imagine coming here by choice to work among them.
At that moment, Gabe walked into the dining hall alone. I nearly choked on my roll at the sight of him. He was stopped by a couple of Nephilim at the buffet table, his back to me.
“There was also Uncle Luke’s wife.” Raquel waved her spoon in the air. “She was human. I liked her a lot.”
My attention was drawn back to the conversation at the table. A Nephilim married to a human? That didn’t seem like a very good idea. With the huge difference in life spans, I imagined it didn’t happen very often.
“I didn’t know her, but my parents were super upset when she disappeared,” Dominic said. “I’ve never seen my mom so worked up.”
Raquel’s face darkened. “Uncle Luke’s never been the same since she was taken by the demons. He doesn’t like to talk about it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gabe turn toward the dining hall. He was going to spot me at any moment.
“I’m beat. I’m going to head up to our room,” I announced suddenly, standing up. The last thing I wanted now was a run-in with Gabe. “It was nice to meet you both.”
Bree and Dominic smiled at me, while Ashley sulked over her sirloin steak. I slipped out the back of the dining hall, avoiding the people that had begun to crowd into the hall for lunch. With one last glance over my shoulder, I spotted Gabe across the room. He was watching me from the buffet line, an empty plate in hand. A troubled frown sat on his perfect lips as we made eye contact.
Tearing my gaze away, I burst through the back doors with new determination. After the coming of age ceremony, I’d find someone to take me to Spearfish. Then, I would leave this place for good. No more stalling.
Chapter Seventeen
It was ceremony night before I knew it. No fancy dresses or suits allowed this time. Raquel surprised me with a tight fitting pair of black pants, a light blue halter, and shiny black boots she’d ordered online. She’d been avoiding the subject of me leaving all week and I had the feeling that this gesture, along with the way she’d been extra sweet lately, was her way of bribing me to stay.
“You look fierce and sexy,” Raquel said when I finished putting them on. “Just like a warrior.”
“But I’m not a warrior.” I ran my hands over the sheer overlay of the halter top. It wasn’t as grand as the red dress from the party, but it made me feel beautiful all the same.
“You don’t have to be a Nephilim to be a warrior,” Raquel said from behind her armoire door.
She’d donned a skintight pair of brown pants, a tan flowy top, and worked her hair into a stylish ponytail with a poof on top. I had to practically fight her off my own hair. She’d wanted to do something fancy with bobby pins and a flat iron, but I refused. Instead, I wore my long brown hair down and around my face in soft waves. It was the only way I liked it.
“Do I really have to go?” I asked Raquel once she’d finally approved of herself in the mirror. “Maybe it’d be better if I stayed here.”
“Nope, you promised to help me serve drinks after the ceremony.” She pressed her lips together and shook her head at me. “No way I’m doing that alone. It’s bad enough that my trainers are making me work the ceremony.”
“Well, next year it’ll be you.”
That drew a proud smile from her lips. Declaring us fit for the ceremony, Raquel escorted me down to the northern lawn. It was already late in the evening, and th
e sun had descended behind the trees, leaving a purple and orange sky in its wake. Pretty soon, the sky would be dark blue and dotted with a million brilliant stars.
Back home in Hanna, I loved sitting under the stars with Kate and pointing out the constellations. The last time we’d gotten the chance to do that was last summer, right before it turned cold. Kate had just confessed to me that she’d found a picture of her father among her mother’s things. She’d stolen the picture, something very unusual for her to do, and kept it hidden in her dresser drawer.
That night, she showed it to me. Her father was very young, probably not much older than seventeen, sitting proudly on a Honda motorcycle. A single word had been written on the back in smooth cursive writing: John. Kate didn’t really want to find him. She’d told me the fantasy would always be better than the real thing. But at least she knew his name. That was a luxury I’d never have.
The sight of a hundred Nephilim milling about on the northern lawn snapped me back to reality. Luke and Esther were near the middle of the group, shaking hands and greeting their friends. Short wooden benches had been added in sweeping circles around the pyre, enough to seat everyone there. Raquel pulled me close to the pyre and made sure we got front row seats for the rites.
Soon enough, the sky morphed into a deep sea blue and everyone took their places. Ashley, Bree, and Dominic, stood facing the fire pit with two other young Nephilim men that I assumed were also becoming warriors. One by one, they each took a dagger from their belts and sliced into the palm of their hand, dripping blood into the unlit pyre.
“We are the Nephilim,” they stated in unison. “We are the gatekeepers, the warriors. In the name of God, we shall defend this land and his flock. We are His.”
Luke stood up from his bench and approached the pyre, bending down to light a match. The logs Raquel and I had so carefully stacked lit up in a swirl of flames, throwing red and orange embers into the sky. Luke retrieved a silver cup from the ground and passed it to each of the new warriors. From my seat, I could see the deep red liquid inside that each warrior drank deeply. Finally, the cup was emptied, and Luke raised his arms to the crowd.
“Today, we welcome five more warriors to the flock. May they be fierce, loyal, and strong. May they always protect the innocent and destroy evil. May they live long lives and be of great value to our community.”
A roar of applause followed his speech. I clapped along with them, although it all felt hollow to me. Everyone here had a purpose. They had known that purpose since birth. I’d never known what my purpose was.
I used to think I would go to school and find a way to build a life for myself, but that dream had burnt up in that pyre instead of me. Now, I didn’t know what to do with my life. All I knew was that I had a demon that wanted my blood, and a town of people that hated me. That wasn’t exactly motivating.
The feeling of someone watching me drew my gaze to the crowd on my right. I met Gabe’s eyes before I could stop myself. He was sitting three rows back, next to Laramie. My heart fluttered as his stare softened and he gave me a small smile.
Maybe Gabe didn’t hate me after all. It was too much to hope. There he was, looking perfect in a distractingly tight long sleeved black shirt, his sword strapped over his back. His short brown hair fell naturally in place, and it looked like he’d even shaved for the ceremony. I couldn’t help but long to be near him again, his palm pressed to my back and his other hand cradling my hand.
“Now begins the partnership rite,” Luke announced, tearing my attention back to the roaring fire in the middle of the ring. “As you well know, this tradition began centuries ago. It is believed that while a Nephilim is strong, he or she is made stronger with the right partner. A partner of the heavens’ choosing. To be partnered is to be given a wonderful gift. Your partner is the person who will add to your gifts as a warrior. Together, you are complete.”
It almost sounded like Luke was officiating at a marriage ceremony. At his bidding, warriors from the crowd began to walk forward and form a line. I saw Gabe and Adam get up and join them. Finally, around twenty people had come forward and waited for Luke to begin.
“This is my favorite part,” Raquel whispered in my ear. She ran her eyes down the line of people. “Most people find their partner by the time they’re a hundred years old, but sometimes there are stragglers, like Gabe. You don’t have to go through the partnership rite, but I’m not sure why someone wouldn’t want to. It’d be awesome to have a partner for life.”
I didn’t respond to her. If I were a Nephilim, I wasn’t so sure I’d go through the partnership rite. It was scary, to think of having someone so close to you. What if I were paired with someone like Adam? I’d rather die at the hands of the goddess than be shackled with him.
The first person in line strode to the pyre. It was a woman with light brown hair and huge brown eyes. She took a dagger from her belt and with a quick swipe, sliced into her hand and held her hand over the fire, like the new warriors had done just minutes ago. I felt everyone around me take a collective breath and hold it. After a few seconds, nothing happened, and she went to join the line of new warriors on the other side of the fire.
“What’s supposed to happen?” I asked Raquel. Was I supposed to be looking for a sign in the fire?
“You’ll see.” Raquel was nearly bouncing off the bench. “You can’t miss it. I’m sure we’ll have at least one pairing tonight.”
The next person in line was a giant of a man with long strawberry blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. He even towered over Luke. With a quick slice of his hand, he dropped his blood into the fire and took a step back. Almost instantly, the fire threw a handful of sparks into the air which shot around the circle like lightning bugs.
A hundred eyes followed the sparks that darted back and forth. After a few agonizing moments of waiting, they finally settled on the brown haired woman who had just bled into the fire seconds ago, forming a glowing orange ring that circled around her head, and then disappeared in a blaze of blue flame.
“Oooooh, Sharon got paired with Teddy. I was hoping they’d finally get together.” Raquel gave a heavy sigh. “They’ve been friends forever. It makes a lot of sense.”
“Why didn’t they get paired when they did the ceremony last year?” I asked.
“Teddy didn’t do it last year. And you have to put your blood in the fire to even be considered as a partner.” Raquel’s eyes darkened in the firelight. “He used to be partnered to Eliza. She was killed five years ago in a demon attack. It was heartbreaking.”
It would be awful to lose your heaven-sent partner in such a violent way. But at least, there was always the chance you could be given a partner again.
The next five people went through the line and nothing happened. I was beginning to get bored. The wooden bench wasn’t very comfortable on my rear. Still, the thought of missing another partnering kept me glued to the seat. It was almost magical. Like a God-ordained soulmate. Some people wandered all over the world searching for their soulmate. Here, the search was easy.
Adam came to the front of the line. He winked at Ashley, standing in the line of warriors, and sliced his hand. I saw her cringe when he looked away and I almost laughed. Even Ashley couldn’t stand her boyfriend. It made me wish they would get stuck together as partners forever.
Unfortunately, when the blood hit the flames, nothing happened. Adam was forced to take his place with the growing line of Nephilim that hadn’t been partnered. Almost two dozen people stood in the line, the flames of the fire reflected in their eyes. From what Raquel had whispered in my ear, it wouldn’t be long before they’d find their partners. It was inevitable. Maybe not this year and maybe not the next. But sometime in their 900 years of life, they could be sure to find one.
The last person in line was Gabe. He cut a lonely figure in the warm light of the blaze. On my left, Ashley shifted her feet and bit her bottom lip. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. I wanted to run up there and snatch the da
gger out of his hands. If there was even the slightest chance he’d get partnered with her, he shouldn’t do it. It made me feel like a middle-school girl to think that way, but I couldn’t help it. Anyone but her, played on repeat in my head.
He sliced into his palm and held it over the fire. Two drops of blood fell from his hand and landed with the slightest sizzling sound on the red hot ashes below. I bit the inside of my cheek until the bitter taste of blood filled my mouth. Maybe he’d be like most of the others and nothing would happen.
Too soon, the pyre spit out a shower of ashes high into the sky. My stomach sank like a rock as I watched the ashes gather together and zoom across the crowd. Ashley was going to be paired with Gabe. She’d won. Girls like her always won, eventually.
The ashes blurred through the air and then stopped suddenly. It wasn’t until they began to glow bright orange that I realized they’d stopped above my head. In a brilliant blaze of blue, they disappeared… and the crowd of Nephilim were thrown into an uproar.
I hardly noticed the crowd or Raquel’s mouth hanging wide open next to me. All I saw was Gabe and his green eyes staring into mine.
Chapter Eighteen
They left me in an empty conference room in the manor. There were people arguing outside in the hall, at least six voices raised in anger. The second that halo of ashes had disappeared over my head at the ceremony, Esther had grabbed my hand and pulled me through the mass of Nephilim. She’d asked me to wait until they could gather the board and talk to me altogether.
My head was buzzing. I didn’t understand what had happened. Surely this was some kind of mistake. Maybe they meant to choose someone else. Someone fierce enough to be Gabe’s partner and help him battle demons.
But, I couldn’t fight the dark fear that bubbled up from some recently made memories. What if they decided to kill me for this mistake, just like Granny? I wouldn’t sit here and take it, like last time. I’d fight, tooth and nail. If anyone tried to kill me again, they were going to be sorry.
Heart of a Demon: A New Adult Paranormal Romance Page 11